DD called off her HS coach's pitch....

[Top_Notch]

My daughter has small gestures to the coach in order to convey what's going on. If the hitter is crowding the plate she'll touch her shoulder as a signal to the coach. If she rubs her knee it means something else. These seemingly innocuous gestures are quiet conversations. They then adjust from there. Plus, she will shake off pitch calls without issue.

 

[Cannonball]

These are the types of situations why SAFE SPORT is in existence. (USA gymnastics is probably the major reason) The OP is actual examples using in the SS training.

A record/paper trail has to be created. I have run in to a few situations where a habitual offender never had an official report filled. When things got bad enough, the first official report was made and that person got a "warning".

Sounds like the coach was trying to make up for their tantrum the next day. Bet someone talked to them that night but nothing official will be done.

So, you counsel people on how to go after coaches?

 

[mmeece]

Really basic question- how does one shake off a pitch? Like the coach calls it and they shake their head no and wait for a new pitch to be called? Or they just nod but throw a different pitch? My daughter’s coach told her to shake off pitches whenever she isn’t feeling it- but she’s so new she’s never done it.

Usually just as simple as shaking her head no unless the coach arranges another signal.

 

[Chilixa]

I have given my DD (pitcher) and the catcher permission to adjust pitch calls if they think it is necessary. We also discuss what we are seeing and what is working between innings. At the end of the day the Pitcher has to be confident in what she is throwing. I may be in the minority but I like the players to take ownership when possible. For the most part they use the pitches our staff calls but they do change it from time to time.


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[BRsoftballDad]

Usually just as simple as shaking her head no unless the coach arranges another signal.

Correct. My DD shook her head no and then gestured to the girl's feet and motioned towards the plate.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I am with the coach on this one. If anybody (pitcher or catcher) is going to shake off a pitch call it should be discussed pregame how the process it going happen. If your DD really thought it was a poor pitch choice she could have either set up 3 or 4 balls off the plate and waste a pitch OR call time and gesture coach out to the circle to have a PRIVATE discussion about it. The pitcher verbally stating "she is crowding plate, coach" from the circle so everybody can hear her is very disrespectful and undermines the coach's position as coach.
I don't think the coach handle the situation well either.

 

[LW23]

The coach is a jack a*%. We deal with the same thing from time to time in HS. DD pitches and always checks the hitters box placement and stance. She has called her HS coach off more than a few times, and we get the same type of temper tantrum. The coach wouldn't even have a discussion with DD and try to understand what she was seeing. It created a little riff, but DD did finally have an adult discussion with coach and all seems to be good now.

 

[canyonjoe]

And let me tell you.....it went over like a lead balloon.

Here's the situation, my DD is a 2025 catcher for her 5A varsity team. She catches the majority of the time, especially when their ace is pitching. So she is young and still getting to know the ways her coach works. This weekend, our team was down 2-0 in a game with their team going through the line up for a second time. Their 3 hole batter was set up in the middle of the box, in the middle of the plate and they were able to get her to hit a weak grounder with an outside curve ball for the out. Well, the second time through the line up she was still in the middle of the box but was now crowding the plate and looking for that outside pitch. First pitch was a ball, second pitch was an outside curve ball that got fouled off (which my DD tried gesturing to the coach that she was set up close to the plate), third pitch was a change up for a strike. The count is now 1-2 and the coach calls the outside curve ball again. My DD shakes it off and again gestures that the girl is set up close to the plate. The coach calls the same pitch and the pitcher tells the coach "She is crowding the plate, coach." Just trying to back up my DD. Well, the coach loses her sh*%. Throwing clipboards and telling my DD and the pitcher to call their own pitches while she storms off. This was in the 3rd inning. My DD calls the rest of the game and they still end up losing but she called a good game. After the game, my DD and the pitcher get called know-it-all princesses and she rants for a while to the whole team. Ends up calling the pitcher a bad influence, even though it was my DD that shook off the pitch.

My DD has a great softball IQ. She has been shaking off pitches since 12u and up to this weekend, no one has ever had an issue with it. I mean, it makes sense, right? She is the one who can see what is working and what is not.

Any way.....that all happened on a Friday night. Saturday morning rolls around and my DD assumes that she is being benched so she talks with the other catcher on the team and tells her to get it done and have a good game. Before game time, the HC pulls my DD aside and tells her that the general consensus with the other coaches is that the catcher is the ONLY person that can shake off a pitch. My DD says, "yes ma'am" and catches the final 2 games of the weekend. My DD actually called the entire game on Saturday morning and her team ended up winning 9-0. It was fun to watch.

I say all that to ask this, what are your thoughts on a catcher shaking off a pitch? Do you take it personal? Or do you trust your catcher?

I would have no problem if a C asked during a practice or even between innings if they could shake off a pitch but I think DD was wrong in just doing it on her own (I'm assuming they never discussed). If you just start doing things on your own can the batter just decide not to try and bunt or I don't feel like stealing right now? I don't want to try and score. To take it to the Nth degree, I feel like I would rather play CF today instead of SS. Again I think 2 way communication is great and I actually would let Catcher who want call the whole game but it's only after it's agreed upon.

 

[GIMNEPIWO]

The drama and BS that often accompanies teenagers playing on a sports team together is not helped by a coach calling them out in a post game meeting ... This coach. as many do, feed that negative environment and then wonder what causes it.

The correct response is for the coach to tell the player why she called a pitch and then ask the player what she saw that made her call off a pitch, one on one (or include the battery mate). Done.

But yes, this should have been discussed long before the players ever take the field ... That the coach is the coach (or in game Manager) and the player is the player ... Speaking for myself, I don't want players second guessing everything I tell them to do during a game. Nor do I want them following me off a cliff like lemmings.

 

[Orange Socks]

Back in TB days. Coach called for a rise ball. DD tried shaking it off 3 times. DD knows the batter very well. Coach didn't change the pitch. The ball ended up in the grassy area beyond the LF fence.